And then there were two. Blondes, that is.

After weeks of tearful goodbyes, Richie Strahan managed to whittle down the pool of talent on The Bachelor to two golden-haired gals.

Ukrainian-born former tennis pro-turned-model Olena Khamula was sent home, presumably to a pool of waiting men so large it could populate at least three future seasons of The Bachelorette.

At the end of the day, Olena’s reluctance to commit to a man who was unwilling to commit to her trumped her obvious aesthetic advantage.

It all came down to a particularly frank conversation over wine on a beach in Bali, where Channel Ten chose to stage the final two episodes of the series. Rice paddies aplenty.

Richie, who for the last several episodes has been waffling on about how “mysterious” Olena was, finally realised this air of intrigue may actually just be disinterest with a side of realism.

“What I need to know today without a shadow of a doubt is, am I just intrigued by this woman of mystery or do we actually have a future together?” he asked the camera.

In reality, Olena was probably the least mysterious contestant of them all. Throughout the show she remained honest to a fault – often creating awkward situations by asking the hard questions.

Olena was never going to make this easy for Richie. Photo: Network Ten

Wednesday night’s semi-final was no exception, with Sydney-based Olena launching into a debate about whether Perth-based Richie would really consider long distance as a viable option.

“My mum doesn’t really want me to move out of Sydney,” she said.

“I did have a very long conversation with my dad and that was his number one concern. He’s like, ‘Olena, you’re not gonna move to Perth and he’s not gonna move to Sydney’. You have to be very realistic about things.”

Richie however, is not a fan of being realistic. He prefers water-based activities and trading empty compliments with flaxen-haired maidens.

Richie became frustrated when Olena pointed out the difficulties of a long-distance relationship. Photo: Network Ten

We saw our first glimpse of Richie’s less-smiley side when the golden boy chastised Olena for not falling at his feet like her fellow contestants.

“I see these moments where you don’t meet me halfway,” he said.  

“You challenge me on everything that I say.  So, like, I’ve got to be 100 per cent with my answers, but then you only give me 10 per cent to 30 per cent of an answer back. 

“Each and every date that we go on, I’m asking you to open up and be true to me about how you feel.

“I feel like sometimes with you it’s one step forward, 15 back.”

Alex’s barely-there dress. Photo: Network Ten

Olena sunk the nail into the proverbial coffin with the clincher: “At the end of the day, I’m thinking, ‘Is it too much of a hassle for us to have a relationship?'”

Richie’s answer was clearly yes, because Olena’s stay in Bali was cut brutally short. She didn’t even get time to try the hotel spa.

That left real estate agent Nikki Gogan, 28, and single mother Alex Nation, 24, vying for Richie’s heart.

Viewers were more concerned, however, with Alex’s dress at the rose ceremony – or lack thereof.

Alex’s dress from the front. Photo: Network Ten

The mum from Mornington opted for a revealing black gown with a completely sheer lower half.

She was essentially wearing a swimsuit and a mosquito net.

The peanut gallery at home were unimpressed by this sartorial risk, likening it to “the demo on a Spotlight store dummy”.

When did wearing a bit of see through fabric over your undies constitute a dress? #TheBachelorAU

— Mick Sharkie (@TheSharkTweet) September 14, 2016

https://twitter.com/SophArAway/status/776014106608283649

ALEX THAT DRESS IS HIDEOUS!!!!!! #TheBachelorAu

— ♢ Leslie Weatherly ♢ (@LeslieWeatherly) September 14, 2016

Not sure about Alex's dress there…. #TheBachelorAU

— Bec Greenwood (@BekstaGreeny) September 14, 2016

We just hope Richie realises neither Alex nor Nikki are real blondes before it’s too late.